Carbonated beverage dispenser



March 24, 193s. J D. EAR 2,035,39

CARBONATED BEVERAGE .TL SPES Filed April 27, 1935 3xmentor Gttorneu Patented Mar. 24, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,035,391 CABBONATED BEVERAGE DISPENSER .Ioseph D. Lear, Bualo, N. Y., assigner to Fedders Manufacturing Company, Inc., Buffalo,

Application April 27, 1933, Serial N0. 668,189 5 Claims. Cl. 22S-1) This invention relates to beverage dispensing apparatus, audit has particular reference to the refrigeratlug and pressure control of carbonated beverages.

The invention is particularly adapted for Ause included therein from the entry and eventual escape of liquid bearing.. bubbles during certain operating conditions. The apparatus also includesa device for automatically restoring the entire system to normal operation subsequent to theformlng of a vacuum block therein as occasioned by pressure leakage through a faulty valve or the like.

Qther features .and advantages of the present invention are more specifically described in the accompanying specification and drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dispensing apparatus with portions shown in section to illustrate a tank and coil arrangement.

Pig. 2 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the flow control device, portions of which are shown in section.

In accordance with the present invention a of. The reservoir is supplied with cooled beverase through an 'orifice I 3 formed in the head I2, and liquid passage through the oriceis controlled by a float operated needle valve I4, the float I5 therefor being pivoted on the head I2 as indicated by the numeral II and being adapted to actuate the needle valve I4 to close the orifice I3, when the .liquid in the reservoir has attained a predetermined level. Liquid beverage is withdrawn from the reservoir I0 from a draft arm or a pipe I1 terminating in a dispensing faucet Il, which maybe-mounted on a panel I9 forming part of a cabinet, bar, or other suitable dispensing device.

Liquid is supplied to the reservoir I0 from a supply device 2| vwhich is herein shown as the usual commercial pressure tank having an outlet fitting `22 and in which liquid is maintained at a relatively high pressure.. Communication is established between the supply means' 2| and the reservoir Il through an elongated conduit 23 which in effect forms a second reservoir which is brought into intimate contact with acooling unit of a refrigeration system for practically its entire length. The cooling unit comprises a tube 24 wound upon the body Il to form ac'oil layer 25. This forms a base upon which ,the beverage tube 23 is wound to form a second layer 26 which l;k is then covered by a third layer 21 comprising a return winding of the refrigerant tube 24, and the assembly is completed by a subsequent'beverage tube layer 28 and a covering refrigerant tube layer 29. It will be observed that both the 10 beverage and refrigerant tubes are flattened in cross section and that'lthe flattened, portions thereof are wound in intimate thermal contact resulting in the sandwiching of .the beverage tube layers between the several layers 4of refrigerant 15 tubing.

The input end 3l of the refrigerant tube 24v is connected to a mechanical refrigeration appa- .ratus (notshown) serving as a source of supply of liquid refrigerant, and a valve device 32, suchl 20 as a thermostatic expansion valve. controls the entry of liquid refrigerant to the cooling device in the manner well-known in the art wherein a bulb 33, secured to the refrigerant output end 34 of the tube, contains a temperature respon- 25 sive uid which controls the operation of the valve 32 in response to the temperature of such portion of the cooling device.

The input end of the beverage tube 23 is yconnected to the fitting 22 of the supply tank 2| 30 and a ilow control device 31 is interposed therebetween, which is herein shown as a union formed with a restricted orifice 38 which controls the volume of iluid entering the tube '23. The flow control device shown in Fig. .1 may-.be as substituted by a reducing valve device 4I, (shown in Fig. 2), which may comprise a tting 40 having4 a valve seat 42 and an inwardly opening valve 43 engaging thereon. Aspring 44 is engaged between the valve seat and the stem 45 40 of the valve to retain it on its seat so that a predetermined pressure differential is-required to open the valve.

The output extremity 41 of the beverage tube 22 communicates with the orifice I3, and it is 45 secured to the head- I2 by means of a fitting 48,

and thus the beverage which is cooled in transit through the tube 23 by the refrigerant tube .24 is subsequently permitted to enter the reservoir Iii. It will be noted that the first layer 23 of 50 the refrigerant tubing is in intimate engagement with the outer surface of the cylindrical body I I `oi! the reservoir and thus retains the liquid within the reservoir at a predetermined temperature.

It is usually desired to dispense beverage such as ginger ale at pressures not exceeding six poundsA per square inch, and, inasmuch as the pressure maintained in the supply tank 2| is usually over one hundred pounds per square inch, it is necessary to vent excess gas volumes from the reservoir inafter described and is adjustable by means of a' nut 5| so that variations in pressure adjustment are possible. The connections between the reservoir I0 and the valve 49 comprise a. pipe 52 connecting the top of the body I I to a baille device 53, which comprises a tank 54 arranged in horizontal position over the cooling device and formed with a plurality of plates 55 arranged substantially horizontally therein and forming a labyrinth passage 56 leading to a pipe 51 which communicates with the valve 49.

In operation it is proposed to control the rate of delivery of the high pressure beverage into the refrigerant tube 23 by means of the restricted orifice 38 or the valve device 4I so that, if the system is entirely dry upon such occasion, the beverage entering the tube 23 will experience an immediate` pressure reduction. This will be accompanied by a violent bubbling action, and, as a result of the provision of the restricted input device, the time interval required to ll the tube and to establish communication with the reservoir I Il permits a partial reducing action on the bubbles within the tube 23. Upon entering the reservoir I0 through the orifice I3, the bubble ladened liquid accumulates therein and eventully the pressure therein rises above the predetermlned six pounds and the pressure relief valve 49 immediately responds to vent the excess gas volumes.

During the venting of gas volumes under the above described starting conditions, there is a general tendency for the bubbles or foam, which at this stage occupy the entire upper level of the reservoir I0, to escape with the gas in the direction of the valve 49. The baille tank 53 which is interposed between the reservoir I0 and the valve 4Q, is provided to receive the excess bubbles or foam from the reservoir I0 for impingement on the various surfaces of the baille plates 55 thereof,

with the accompanying bubbling formationde scribed. Upon lling the tank to the point indicated, the float I5 is buoyed sufficiently to close the valve I4 and thus to cut olf the supply means. The device is then ready for normal operation, and it has been found that the intermittent withdrawing operation of liquid through the dispensing faucet I8 does not cause the violent ebulllent action as described for the starting operation, since comparatively small volumes are required to raise the oat to its closing position, and the gas volumes escaping from the liquid under this V condition cause a bubbling action which is usually localized within the reservoir I0.

It will be apparent that the device above described would be rendered inoperaive if a slow gas leak occurred, since the liquid level and the oat would not be affected thereby, and, therefore, a replenishing of the gas envelope would not be possible. The most usual occurrences of this nature are caused by faulty solder connections or an improper closing of the dispensing valve I8 in a position wherein gas escape is permitted without a substantial equivalent liquid es ape. It will be obvious that after along shutdown under these conditions, the gas envelope above the liquid body in the reservoir I0 would be reduced to atmospheric pressure, and upon the rst subsequent dispensing operation, such gas envelope would be reduced to less than atmospheric pressure to cause a vacuumcondition to be set up in the entire reservoir system resulting in a pressure block on the dispensing valve I8, and the prevention of liquid escape therethrough. It is, therefore, necessary to provide means for permitting gas entry into the system to relieve this condition, and a valve device 60 is provided for this purpose.

The valve device 6D comprises a seat member 6I I secured to the top of the baiiie tank 54 andihaving an inwardly opening valve 62 backed by a light spring 63. 'Ihe valve 62, in the presence of normal pressures in the tank 53, will be retained in seated position; however, in the presence of subatmospheric pressures, the valve will open and permit air entry into the system, whereupon liquid withdrawal through the dispensing valve I8 will immediately become possible. This will be accompanied by the dropping of the float I5, the opening of the needle valve I4, and a resumption of high pressure beverage supply to the reservoir I0 to reestablish the predetermined pressure therein for normal operation.

In summarizing, it will be noted that the bubble Vor foam reduction is provided for prior to the entry of the beverage into the reservoir I Il by means of the ow control device 31, wherein a reduction of pressure occurs in the tube 23, and it is accompanied by the release of gas volumes and the subsequent formation and breakage of bubble and foam formations. It will also be appreciated that this arrangement is only partially effective in such reduction function and that a supplementary reducing means, the baille tank 54, is provided in anticipation of a starting condition where a steady iiow is directed to the reservoir Ill accompanied by a secondary bubble formation in the presence of the reduced pressures therein. It will thus be apparent that the precise structure herein may be varied to a considerable degree and yet maintain the functions above described, and therefore it is intended that various modiiications may be made therein within the purview'of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a source of beverage under pressure, a reservoir having a draft arm, a second reservoir comprising a length of tubing connecting the rst reservoir to said pressure source, a cooling unit comprising a refrigerant tube, said reservoir tube and said refrigerant tube being wound in alternate layers upon said first reservoir, a float controlled valve in the rst reservoir for controlling the liquid level therein, a pressure relief valve communicating with the rst reservoir above the liquid level therein, and a tank interposed between the first reservoir and the pressure relief valve, said tank having a plurality of bailies therein providing a bubble reducing means and being located above said rst 9,935,891 .l l l.

2. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a source of beverage under pressure,

v a reservoir communicating `therewith and L a draft arm, means connecting said reservoir and said pressure source. a float controlled valve in the reservoir for controlling the liquidl level therein, a pressure relief valve communicating with the reservoir above the liquid level therein, and a tank interposed between thereservoir and therelief valve and lhaving a plurality of bailiesproviding a bubble reducingmeans, said tank beinglocated above l"-said reservoir for gravitational drainage therebetween.

3. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a source of beverage under pressure.

a rervoir 'communicating therewith and having said last connection whereby air maybe admitted into the reservoir when the pressure therein falls l below atmospheric. A l 4. carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus a reservoir having a draft arm. a

pressure relief valve communicating with the beverage under pressures connection- 'f between. secondary. reservoirV andthe tank including la restricted orifice, a 'connection be' tween the reservoirs `including .menace-or, 5l gmterareathantherstoriiicemndaoatcontrolied valve -in- 'the-mst reservoir for controlling the oriilce area therein, whereby during-open position of valve a preliminary expansion of beverage gases is 5.-. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatusa cylindrical reservoir having adraft arm, a pressure relief valve communicating with the reservoir,A asecondary reservoir comprising 'a' f5,

length of tubingfa supply tank containing b ev.

erage under pressure, a lconnection between one :u end of the tubing and the tank including'are f A stricted orincc, aconnection between the remain-4 ins endo: tnetubmg andthe mst reservoir 111-, 20T

cluding an oriiice of greater areav than'the' iirst oriiice. afiioat controlled valve in the iirst reservoir for controlling the orice area therein, whereby during open position of the valve a preliminary expansion o f beverage gases is permitted in 25. secondary reservoir;v and a refrigerant coil thermally associated with the tubing to coolthe liquid therein during transit to. the nrst reservoir.

permitted in the secondary-1 0v 

